Garment-closer.



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a specification.

features and structuie hereinafter described. and particularly pointedont. in the claims. The invention is not limited to use with any specialgarment., but, for illustration, I )resent the same herein as applied toa an maintaining the same in closed posit-ion.

i the use of buttons and button-holes or hooks and c ves or likeseparable fastening devices commonly employed on waists, and espeteiallyto nhviate the inconveniences which arise with the use of such devices,in securing the waistl in closed position and in rei leasing the sainefor removal.

ln accordance with my invention l pro- ,f )y attached strips,

i-ile. either directly or ion the vertical matching edges of the hack'sections of the waist, headings of braid,

:sure ap lied at the lower end thereof and initiatei from cords whichmay extend iiroiiiid to the front or opposite sides of the waist inconvenient osition to be operated, the cords when pullid in oppositelateral directions serving toiiiovea followcragainst the lower end ofthe series of clasps and cause such clasps to slide upwardly on saidheadings and gradually close the edges of the back sections of thewaistv towiird each other and bind them in their closed relation.

After the waistluis been closed bv the npward lmovement. of the seriesof clasps, the

operatingr cords may be tied around the;

waist and thus be conveniently disposed of.' When it is desired toremove the waist| the wearer will free the outer ends of the opcratincords and take hold of the lower end o A the series of clasps and drawthe latter downwardly along thc aforesaid beadings, thus releasing theback sections of'thc waist and permitting the removal oftheGarment-Closers, of which the following is i The nventioii relates toimprovements in garment-closers, and it consists in the novel 1 ad swaist for closing the back thereof' One ohjeet. of my invention is toavoid eord or the like` and also a series of aiticut ,lated or somewhatflexibly connected-to- L l,gether slide-clasps which may be moved ,alongboth said headings to connect said i |`hack sections and close the waistby presyengage. the headings on and close the waist land convenientlyslid downwardly from the headings to open the waist. without becomingentirely detached therefrom.

'lhe invention will he fully understood Efrom the detailed dcscriitionhereinafter presented, reference being ind to the accom- ,panyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a back view of a waist equipped with closing and fasteningdevices embodying iny invention, the two back sections of the waistbeing shown as closed and the concealinf7 flap on one of the backsections being illiistrated as turned outwardly to sonic extent to exosesaid devices; Fi 2 is an enlarged etiichcd view of a por ion of twocorresponding strips having headings at their adjoining edges and to besecured to the back-sections of the waist for receiving my fasteningrdevices; Fig. 3 is a corresponding view, partly in section, of thesanie, with the outer poi*- tions of the clasps cut away and the claspsslioivn as slid downwardly to souie extent on said strips; Fig. 4 is anenlarged horizontal section, through a portion of the waist, on thedotted liuc 4--4 of Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of astyle of button which may be conveniently attached to the waist foraiding in the control of the operating cords, and Fig. tl is a viewsubstantially corresponding with Fig. 1 but illustrating the series ofelasps in a partly operated position.

ln the drawings 10 designates :i garment or waist of any suitable orusual formation intended to be closed and opened at the back, 11 theback sections thereof, 12 corres iondng vertical strips of fabricstitched to t ie adjoining portions of said hack-sections and havingheadings 13 at their outer facing edges, 14 the series of transverseclasps to slide on said headings and connect said back-sections togetherto close the waist or release them to permit the waist to open, l5 theoperating cords by which said clasps may be moved upwardly along saidbeadings to close the garment and. which receive said clasps when theyare slid downwardly from said bcadiiigs to release the garment, 1t`lower u'ojecting portions of said headings to w ich said cords areconnected so that the cords and beadiiigs may form eontinuous runwaysfor said clasps, and 17 a follower normally strung on said cords at thelower end of the series of clasps and j havin rollers 18 against. whichthe laterally latter, said clasp sections as they leave the extent ingcords may he drawn to cause the l headings on thc waist passing onto andi along said operating cords, which, when the waist. is entirely open,will carry said clasps.

t follower to press against the lower end of I t. thc series of claspsand compel the latter to slide Y upwardly from. said cords onto andalong said headings to close the garment.

l The headings 13 may he formed in any suitable manner, as by the wellknown method of cording the edge of a fabric or by means of braids or inany-of the several known ways, and these headings may be formed on orapplied to the fabric of the garment or on strips of fabric 12 to besecured to the arment, as may be found. in ost. convenient, tlieessential consideration being that the garment along the edges of itssec` tions to be closed and opened he formed or rovided with theheadings to be engaged l, liy the clasps 14.` 'Iheindividual transverseclasps 14 corre- 'f spend with one another and they are articulated orconnected together in one elongated suitably flexible chain or series bylinks 19, which may be of wire or thread or any sintable material, andsaid clasps 14 are in reai ries and preferably in end-to-end relation sothat their adJoining ends may abut against one another during the.closing of the garment. l'lach transverse clasp 14 may be in oneintegral piece. of metal, luird ruhher, porcelain` eelluloid, glass orother suitable material` and has at its opposite vertieal edges undercutgrooves 20, as shown in Fig. 4, to engage the headings 13, said groovesbeing open at their outer vertical edges, in the form of narrow slots21, to admit the fabric back of the headings 13 ofthe garment or strips12. The clasps 14 constitute an elongated flexible clasp to engage theheadings 13 and slide thereon for closing ,or opening the garment 10,and I prefere ably arrange the clasps 14 in end to end relation so thatpressure applied at the lowerf end of the series of clasps may actthrough all the. clasps, said clasps pressing against one another inseries.

When the clasps 14 i are held reasonably close together by means of thelinks 1f) the line of clasps may have some degree of flexibility, butwill nevertheless ellicicntlv move along the headings 13 withoutbuckling to any material extent. The fact that tie clasps are permittedto have a slight. hinged movement on the links i 111 enables the. lineof clasps to conform to the sluipe of the figure wearing the garment.

The follower 17 may be formed from sheet metal with a top and verticalsides the latter forming bearings for the ends o the rollers 18. 'l`hctop of the follower is flat to engage the lower end of the lower clasp14 and has an opening therein, as shown in Fig. 3, through which theoperating cords 15 extend and which also permits the follower to moveupwardly on or downwardly from the extensions 16 of the headings 121.The invention is not confined in every instaure to the employment. oftlic fol- .-y lower 17 since the. clasps would he operative without it,but the operation of the device as a whole is improved when the follower17 is `made ilse of.

'directions and inserted through guiding eyes Q51 formed on the outerends of detachable hiittons 24 applied to the opposite sides of the.garment 10.

As may he readily understood on referwholly on the headings 13 when theyare in position holdin the garment closed and are slid downward y ontothe operating cords 15 when drawn downwardly to release the garment.When the garment. is `open and i il is desired to close thc same thecords 15 l sonahly close relation to one another in sel Iwill be drawnlaterally in opposite directions so as to create. a pull against theroll- I ers 18 and eausc the follower 17 to press upwardlyagainst thelower clasp 1'1. 'l`he continued pull on the eords 15 will cause the.follower 17 to travel upwardly on the cords and force the line of clasps14 upwardly onto and along thc headings l?) to thereby close thegarment, and after the garment has been sufficiently closed the wearermay draw the cords 15 around to -tlie front and tie them about thewaist. When it is desired to release the garment. the'cords 15, if tiedat the front, will be loosened so that they may he free to sliderearwardly through the eyes 251, and thereupon the wearer will take holdof the lower clasp 14 between the thumb and finger and pull the line ofclasps downwardly from olf the headings 13 and onto the cords 15. Fig. 6may be regarded as showing the clasps 14 as pulled downwardly to aiartial extent from the headings 13 or as illustrating the clasps in apart y operated position or one in which the clasps have been movedupwarclly hy a lateial pull in opposite directions oii the cords 15.

My invention dispenses with the use of buttons and hutton-holes or hooksand eyes or like separable fastening devices commonly employed ongarments and removes the inconveniences which arise with the use of I Ido not limit. my invention to the use of any special material iu themanufacture of 'lhe operating cords 15 are preferablyv ence to Figs. 1and 6, the clasps' 14 are jv the parts thereof. The strips 12 may beformed of silk or any other suitable material and the headings thereonmay be formed in any of many well-known ways. The operating cords 15 maybe of cotton, silk or other suitable material and they constitute.flexible means for operating the elongated clasp-slide, the word cordsbeing used y in a generic sense and as matter of convenf ience withoutdefining any special material. i iVliat I claim as mv invent-ion anddesire 1 to secure by Letters Patent., is: 1. Closing means for garmentsand the l like comprising headings for the adjacent sections thereof'nndan elongated flexible clasp having grooves at its lateral ends to.engage and slide on said headings and bein open at their outer edges toadmit the thickness of the fabric carrying said be'iid Hugs, andoperating cords connected with I.said headings to receive said clasp inits inoperative position and slide. the sanie onto said headings to itsolperntive. position. I

(,'losin,' v niezins` ni' garments and the like, comprising headings forthe adjacent sei-tions tlicieol and an elongated flexible l clasp havinggroovent its lateral ends to engage and slide on said headings and beingopen :il their inter edges to adiiiit, the thickne` of the fnbiiecarrying said headings, f operatingr cords connected with said headingsto receive. .said clasp in its inoperatiye iosition iind slide the`zaino onto said beadings to its operative position, and a followerstrung;r on said cords at the lower end of said clasp to force. the clasto its operative position on the lateral pul of said cords in oppositedirections.

Signed at New York city, in the county i of bow York and State of NewYork, this y; 4th day of October, A. D. 1911.. A

JOSEPH HUGHES.

liVitnesses:

Aa'iiiua MAnioN, CiiAs. C. Giu..

